'Peaky Blinders' hit by technical glitch at key plot moment

Peaky Blinders viewers were frustrated to miss a key plot development in last night's episode as a technical glitch hit the drama at an unfortunate moment.

The BBC One show had to air an apology for the technical problem at the end of the programme, which had seen coverage cut out for some viewers in an episode where Tommy Shelby (Cillian Murphy) received some devastating news.

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Others complained that the episode froze at moments and then skipped ahead, making for difficult viewing.

The huge twist spoiled by the technical problems was that Tommy had been contacted by doctors to tell him that he had tuberculoma - a solid lump of tuberculosis that looks like tumours - at the base of his skull.

He was then delivered the shock news that he was likely to only have 12 to 18 months left to live.

One viewer tweeted: "Well, I just missed half of that. What was that glitch?"

Someone else commented: "Bro what is BBC one doing my tv just turned off out of nowhere."

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Another viewer asked: "Anyone else’s tv going mad?? #PeakyBlinders"

Someone else wrote: "Is anyone else tv flickering on and off in #peakyblinders"

Doctors had discovered the tuberculoma while testing him and his wife Lizzie (Natasha O'Keeffe) to see whether they would develop consumption like their tragic young daughter Ruby, who died from the disease.

Earlier in the episode, heartbreaking scenes showed Ruby's funeral where grieving dad Tommy vowed to get revenge on the Roma enemies he believed had put a curse on her.

It wasn't the only tough-to-watch scene this series as episode one featured a poignant funeral for Aunt Polly, played by Helen McCrory who died of breast cancer last year.

A previous line of Aunt Polly's was played in Sunday's episode as Tommy was shown remembering her and her prediction that a family member would die after getting his devastating diagnosis.

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